Star Trek has not been on TV since May of 2005. When Star Trek: Enterprise aired its final episode, speculation began almost immediately about what the next iteration of the show would be. Over a decade later, CBS announced that the series would return in a new format.
When CBS announced that they were creating a new series for their CBS Access service, many Star Trek fans were upset that the series would not air on regular television and that future episodes after the premiere would only be available behind a pay wall. The series was originally supposed to start filming last November with a premiere date this month, but the series was delayed. After original showrunner Bryan Fuller (Hannibal) left the series, it was delayed again until May 2017.
Variety is reporting that the series is being delayed again as they continue to cast. According to the statement released by CBS:
“Production on ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ begins next week. We love the cast, the scripts and are excited about the world the producers have created. This is an ambitious project; we will be flexible on a launch date if it’s best for the show. We’ve said from the beginning it’s more important to do this right than to do it fast. There is also added flexibility presenting on CBS All Access, which isn’t beholden to seasonal premieres or launch windows.”
Not being “beholden to seasonal premieres or launch windows” smacks of a convenient excuse for just not being ready to deliver. While there have been shakeups on the production side, the series has continued to shape its cast. After casting the series lead last month with The Walking Dead alum Sonequa Martin-Green, the cast continued to take shape. The latest addition to the cast has been James Frain as Sarek, Spock’s father.
Frain has previously played Thomas Cromwell on The Tudors, Ferdinand Chevalier on Orphan Black and recently as Theo Galavan/Azrael on Gotham. He will be the third actor to portray the character Sarek. The character was originally played by Mark Lenard, who played the character on the original series, Star Trek: The Next Generation and in four movies. Recently, Sarek has been played by Ben Cross (Dark Shadows) in the rebooted Star Trek films. Sarek is Spock’s father and a leader and ambassador for the planet Vulcan.
No new airdate has been given, but we will let you know if there is a change. Let us know what you think.
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